France is the second-largest importer of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables in the EU. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam also imported 175 million USD worth of goods from the country, a year-on-year rise of 92 percent, resulting in a trade surplus of 133.3 million USD.

The highest gains were seen in means of transport and spare parts, garment-textiles, leather and footwear materials, and rice.

Phones and spare parts was a main driver, with export revenue exceeding 81.6 million USD.

France is also the second-largest importer of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables in the EU, behind the Netherlands, with over 3.5 million USD worth shipped to the country in January, up 17 percent year-on-year.

The results are attributable to the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which took effect last August.

According to the European-American Market Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, France has long been one of Vietnam’s major trade partners in the EU.

It is Vietnam’s fourth-largest importer in the bloc, after the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria.

Vietnam’s exports to the country are expected to bounce back at the end of this quarter when the pandemic is better contained and lockdowns are lifted in France./.

BTA